Smartphones with screen sizes of 5 to just under 7 inches, known as 'phablets',
overtook shipments of both laptops and tablets in Asia in the second quarter
of 2013.

Device makers shipped 25.2 million phablets in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) in the second quarter of 2013, compared with 12.6 million tablets, and 12.7 million laptops. Phablets made a significant jump, up by 100 percent from the previous quarter, and up 620 percent compared to the same quarter in 2012.

The Asia/Pacific region is seen as a key battleground for the smartphone industry, as western markets such as North America and Europe become saturated.

Analysts at International Data Corporation (IDC), which conducted the research, said that the growth of phablets was primarily due to adoption in emerging markets, where consumers like to have calling capabilities combined with a better browsing and multimedia experience.

"Samsung was the first to succeed in phablets with the Galaxy Note launched in APEJ in 2011 Q4, capturing 90 percent of the phablet market. Fast forward to 2013 Q2, and Samsung's Note series counts for less than 50 per cent," says Melissa Chau, Senior Research Manager with IDC Asia/Pacific's Client Devices team.

"Phablets first started as a trend driven by mature markets like South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore – and these markets continue to rise. What's changed now is the added pick up of phablets in emerging markets like China and India, not just the plethora of big-name vendors competing head-to-head with Samsung, but instead the low-cost local players who have swooped in to offer big screens for less money – averaging a retail price of $220 versus Samsung's $557."

Phablets look set to make a strong appearance at the forthcoming IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin. Samsung has already announced that its Galaxy Note 3 will launch on 4 September, and Acer also said that its 6-inch Liquid S2 will be unveiled at IFA. The HTC One Max and Sony Xperia Z1 'Honami' also fall into the phablet category.

However, Apple is noticeably absent from the list, leading to speculation that the company could release a device to fit between its iPhone and iPad Mini next year.

IDC said that phablets have proven to be more than just a fad, but this does not mean that one size fits all. As tablets get more productive, and new categories such as smartwatches evolve, the analyst firm expects to see continued diversity among smart connected devices.

Samsung's forthcoming smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, will also launch at IFA this week, joining Google Glass in the emerging 'wearable devices' category.